AERO's submission included an overview of how student wellbeing is measured in Australia and highlighted opportunities to improve data collection and use of data in decision-making.

About the submission

The Review to Inform a Better and Fairer Education System (the Review) will make recommendations for Education Ministers to inform the next National School Reform Agreement (NSRA), to meet the current and future needs of students and improve education outcomes in Australia.

The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO)’s submission outlines key reform areas for the next NSRA that are well supported by research. This includes a move towards fewer, targeted initiatives that speak directly to factors that make a difference to student learning, to ensure the NSRA has the greatest impact on student outcomes.

AERO’s submission argues that the reform that would best meet these criteria is ensuring systematic provision of additional support to help students who have fallen behind in their learning catch up. The NSRA should also include commitments to a national program of research, and improvements to the national education data infrastructure, as these will enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of other reform measures.

Our submission includes our Student Wellbeing Data and Measurement in Australia paper as an appendix. This paper provides an overview of how student wellbeing is measured in Australia and highlights opportunities to improve effective data collection and use of wellbeing data in decision-making.